Lock for grave-vault closures



, S. TAYLOR.

LOCK FOR GRAVE VAULT CLOSURES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1921. RENEWED AUG. 21. 1922.

5% 8A3 Patented Oct 24, 192.

Patented Uet. 2d, l

SIDNEY TAYLUR, @F

ION, OHIU, ASSaIG-NOR T0 E. P. MONROE, 0F GALION', OHIO.

LOOK FOR GRAVE-VAULT CLOSURES.

Application filed. March 30, 1921, Serial No. 456,946. Renewed August 21, 1922.

To all whom it. may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY 'lin'mn, a citizen of the United States. residing at (ialion, in thecounty of Crawford and, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Grave-Vault Closures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to closures for metallic grave vaults and has for its object the provision of a simple, compact and easily operated device whereby the closure may be rapidly secured in place. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings I Figure l is a view showing a grave vault in transverse section and showing an. inside elevation of the closure having my improved fastener applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on the line 2-2 of Fig. .1, the fastener being shown in a position assumed by it before being fully drawn home;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the fastener turned completely homeg' Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the locking clamp.

The grave vault body -1 is of the usua construction and is equipped at its open endwith the usual flange 2 which cooperates with the door or closure 3, a packing or gasket 4 of any preferred material being inserted between the flange 2 and the door, as will be readily understood. The door or closure 3 is provided adjacent all its edges with a plurality of openings in 'whicli fastening bolts are mounted, these fastening bolts carrying devices which are drawn into binding engagement with the flangefl so as to firmly secure the-door in place and various types of fastening devices have been heretofore provided, but none of them have proved entirely satisfactory. In carrying out my invention, I employ a bolt 5 which is inserted through the opening in the door and has its head 6 disposed at the outer side of the door Witha gasket or packing 7 between the head and the door. A. nut 8 is mounted upon thejthreaded portion of the. bolt at the inner side of the door and beyond the said nut a stop is provided to limit the relative movement of the bolt and the said nut 8. This 'stop'may be of any pre ferred design, but ll prefer and haveshown Serial No. 583,354.

a nut 9 which is fitted upon the inner extremity of the bolt and is rotatable with the same. Fitted loosely upon the bolt between the nut 8 and the door is a clamping plate or block 10 which is provided with an opening 11 to receive the bolt and also pro vided upon its inner or rear side at its edges with longitudinally disposed lugs 12 between which the nut 8 is received and by which its flat sides are engaged so that rotation of the nut independent of the clamp ing plate is prevented. A spring 13 is coiled around the bolt between the door 3 and the clamping plate and this spring by its expansion serves to hold the plate in engagement with the nut 8. At one end of the clamping plate is a flange or lug ll which is adapted tobear against the inner side of the door 3 and at the opposite end of the plate are spaced lugs 15 which are adapted to bear against the flange 2. Upon the. front side or face of the clamping plate is also provided a lug or stop pin 16 which is preferably located adjacent one edge of the plate.

\Vhen the door. is brought into position against the gasket 4 in the open end of the grave vault, the clamping plates 10 are so arranged with respectto the bolts 5 that the longitudinal side edges of the plates are presented to the flange 2 and the plates will, consequently, clear the flange as the door is inserted. After the door is brought against the gasket 4, the bolt is rotated by the engagement of any suitable turning tool with the head 6 thereof and this turning movement will be, of course, imparted directly to the clamping plate through the nut 8 and will continue until the stop pin or lug'lfi impinges against the edge of the flange 2. The further rotation of the clamping plate WlllbE thereby prevented and, consequently. as the turning of the bolt continues, the nut 8 will be held against rotation by its engagement with the lugs 12 and will be caused to ride along the bolt and thereby draw the lugs 14 and 15 of the clamping plate into close binding engagement with the door and the flange so that the door will be securely clamped against the packing 4. This operation can be very rapidly performed so that all the bolts may be manipulated in a very short period of time and the vault effectually closed. Should it be desired for any reason to permit withdrawal of the door, reverse rotation of the bolt will.

lltl

cause the nut 8 thereon to ride outwardly until it comes into contact with the stop lug 9, after which the clamping plate will turn with the nut so that the stop pin 16 Will be withdrawn from the flange 2 and the clamping plate caused to present its longitudinal edges to the flange and permit withdrawal of the door.

My device is very simple and inexpensive and may be very easily manipulated. Inasmuch as it is possible to release the door after it has once been set, the devices may be very accurately fitted before the vault and its parts leave the factory so that when the use of the vault becomes necessary, there will be no liability of the fasteners failing to work properly and thereby adding to the distress of the attendants. It is to be noted that my device presents three bearing points, the head of the bolt acting upon the door between the ends of the clamping plate,one of which bears against the inner. side of the door and the other of which bears againstthe inner side of the flange on the body of the vault so that the door will be caused to bind firmly at its edges upon the gasket interposed between the same and the flange. The vault is consequently very effectually sealed when all the clamping plates have been turned home.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with a grave vault having an internal flange, and a closure therefor, of a locking bolt rotatably mounted in the closure, a nut fitted upon the threaded portion of said bolt, a clamping plate loosely fitted upon the bolt and locked to said-nut, said plate being provided at its ends with lugs adapted to l'iiH'Q binding engagement with the grave vault and the closure respectively, and a stop pin projecting from said plate toward the closure and adapted to engage the internal flange on the vault and arrest the rotation of the plate.

2. The combination with a grave vault having an internal flange, and a closure therefor, of a locking bolt rotatably mounted in the closure, a clamping plate loosely fitted on the bolt, a nut having threaded engagement with the bolt, lugs on the clamping plate engaging the sides of the said nut whereby to prevent relative rotation of the nut and the plate, a spring fitted around the bolt between the plate and the closure and holding the plate to the nut, lugs on the plate at the ends thereof to bind upon the closure and the flange of the vault respectively, and a stop on the plate adjacent one end thereof to impinge against the flange of the vault and thereby limit rotation of the plate.

In testimony-whereof I aflix my signature.

SIDNEY TAYLOR. [n 8. 

